Boots opticians hard sell how to get out of order placed

[Weymo]

After my child’s free eye test last week we were shown glass starting at £20.

Assistant didn’t show us the free ones first, so daughter had already seen a paid pair by then that he’d shown us.

I knew daughter would be indecisive and wanted her to wait rather than ordering then.

But I’m a pushover, and he took us to desk and I signed something (wasn’t going to read it, who does, A4 size page of T&Cs) which I presume is an order for her prescription lens for this £20 frame glasses.

I couldn’t afford £20 and still can’t a week later!

Does anyone know if I can just go to Specsavers instead, do another free kids eye test, and then have their 2 pairs of free kids glasses instead?

Would I still be billed for the Boots pair though?

I’m nervous about going back to Boots and saying I felt pushed into buying a pair rather than the free ones, and canyou cancel even if I’ve signed something.

Has anyone done similar?

I’ve just been made redundant and I simply don’t have any money until I find a new job, or until Child Benefit comes in tomorrow Tuesday.

I guess if you haven’t paid yet, they can’t make you!

They’d probably rather you tell them now so that they can stop the process of making them before it’s too late. Not sure you’d get another test though, they may make a note of it? But I’m sure they’d be happy to swap for a free pair or to give you the prescription details to take elsewhere if you explain.

However, I would say, if your DC is very attached to those particular ones it might make it more likely they’ll happily wear them - that could be worth the £20? Do you have anyone you could borrow it off in the meantime - I know if someone I knew asked me I’d happily lend them £20 (and probably not ask for it back)

That doesn't sound like a hard sell

Simple answer is no you can't have another free eye test. NHS doesn't provide endless ones.
I'm sorry that you decided against reading the terms and conditions - they probably would have answered the question your asking now.
If it was a week ago, they will be almost ready now. When you go for the fitting you can say you're not happy with the fit/size/whatever and see if they will do you another pair from the NHS range.
If that doesn't fly it's a bit of a lesson in making sure you read stuff properly.

I'd contact boots and ask to cancel, explain that the cost wasn't explained at the time and you just can't afford it. Then ask boots for a copy of her prescription and take that anywhere you like.

As smartcar says. But you can’t have another free test. You should have a copy of the prescription from Boots and you could take that elsewhere.

I have cancelled a hard sell Boots the next day.

If you go to Specsavers they will ring Boots and ask for the prescription,you don't need to get another test.

There's no right to cancellation where the sale is made in a shop, unless stipulated in the contract.

If you call them now, it's very much down to goodwill.

People do read the terms and conditions. They're there to protect you and let you know what your rights are.

**hard sell Boots order

This isnt a hard sell.

Why did you just sign something? If you don't have £20 surely you are extra cautious about where you spend your money?

All you can do is go in and explain you cant afford it, and they might cancel.

However ryku can't get another test
If you just never go back to boots they aren't going to peruse you over £20, however that's a dick thing to do. Just go in and explain, if not you'll have to borrow £20.

Did they not give you a copy of the contract you signed? That will explain what you ahve agreed to.

You can't have another NHS test....Boots will submit their NHS form and you will be contacted by the NHS if Specsavers then submit another one. This will at least incur the fee for the test (about 20 pounds) and possibly also an additional fine. If Boots have already made the glasses and you just don't contact them or collect them, they will submit the NHS voucher for the cost of the lenses to cover their costs.if you then get glasses from specsavers, they may also submit an NHS voucher and you may then again get a charge for the lenses and possibly a fee.
It is known as fraud.
Best idea is to contact boots, explain you can't afford the frame and see if they can cut the lenses into a free frame instead.
Any other option may cost you at best, or cause you to commit NHS frauf at worst.
And read terms and conditions in the future.

You can't have another NHS test....Boots will submit their NHS form and you will be contacted by the NHS if Specsavers then submit another one

No need for another test as I said above,go to any opticians and choose a pair of glasses, they will then ring through to wherever you had your eye test ( in your case Boots) and Boots will tell the opticians your prescription if they didn't give you your prescription on a card.

Easy peasy.

You can't get another NHS sight neither can you just ask another optician to make up the order so that you can 'free specs'. Boots will have used your NHS voucher for the cost of the lenses in the ones they have made/you ordered. If you don't collect them they will still send in the voucher because they took the order and made the lenses in good faith. You can only get another voucher when you get another NHS sight test. The NHS voucher is for the lenses only, it has no relevance to your frame choice, be it 'free' or paid for. If you don't collect then it is not likely that Boots will chase you for the £20 as it is not worth their while. People saying just get the prescription rang through to another optometrist are wrong, any one else will have to charge the full price as you will not have a voucher YOU HAVE USED IT ALREADY with Boots. I work in an opticians.

Your optician is obliged to provide you with a copy of your prescription which you can then use at any other optician:

www.opticalcomplaints.co.uk/resources/faqs

Hiya,
I’m a student optician and it sounds as though the A4 paper you signed is the voucher that the NHS have given you for the cost of the glasses. (Usually a yellow form with your child’s details and prescription on). You are not able to get another of these vouchers and therefore no you cannot simply go to another opticians and get NHS funded glasses. By signing this you have confirmed that you want Boots to use this voucher towards the cost of the glasses.
The people above saying you can take the prescription to another opticians are absolutely correct but you will pay for the glasses. If you are unhappy with the cost contact your local boots and ask if you can change the frame. If you haven’t paid they may not have glazed them yet

Update.

Boots were happy to cancel the order and apologised for us being shown paid fames before free frames. They said nearly all parents choose the free kids frames.

They were fine about us taking the prescription to Specsavers to get free frames there instead.

And who mentioned fraud upthread? eejit.

*And who mentioned fraud upthread?  eejit.

Don't know who said that but I'd say if you're a bit of an 'eejit' for signing something without reading it. 🤷

Sorry that poster was right and you’re a complete wet blanket if you can’t even question a form before you sign it. Or direct your own child towards the free frames.

Sorry if I’ve missed something here (it’s been a very long day but I have definitely not understood it properly even after re reading) - as your daughter is a child and gets free eye tests, does she not also get free frames?
My dd went to specsavers last week and aswell as a change to her prescription she chose 2 free frames up to the value of £89 each - she chose a pair for £89 and another pair for £49.
I thought that was standard?
Other than paying a small extra of anti screen glare it cost me nothing.
What was the charge for?
Also, it doesn’t sound much of a hard sell if you admit you didn’t bother reading the page of t+c really, although at least you’ve managed to rectify it!

They were right it would be fraud

Most parents probably do get the free frames. Because most parents are capable of telling their child no, and not signing things they can't afford

There's nothing wrong with showing the paid frames first.

The NHS pay opticians £21.31 toward an eye exam for those under 19. The optician will submit a claim for this payment - you will usually sign a blue form at the time of your examination.

The Optometrist will decide when the next examination should be carried out, and there are only certain conditions under which you can have an NHS funded examination earlier than this recommended date.

After an NHS funded eye exam, a second voucher is issued when glasses are required. This voucher is a further contribution from the NHS of at least £39.10 - the value increase as a prescription becomes more complex.

Once you have signed these vouchers, you have effectively paid. The vouchers are not contracts with terms and conditions, they are basically invoices to the NHS which the optician will submit to claim their fees.

It is fraudulent to claim a further set of vouchers from another optician by supplying false information, like when your last test was. If you have provided the correct information, it is down to the optician to decide whether, knowing you have had a test recently elsewhere, they can justify claiming the NHS fees.

Most opticians will offer you the choice of purchasing frames which are often better quality than the 'free' stuff they offer.

It is worth noting that NHS eye care does work differently in Scotland.

I would urge you to think about this... if the NHS only give you £39.10 toward a pair of glasses, how much have they actually cost to supply? Pennies probably, right? Does something that cost an average £2-£3 to produce and supply warrant a charge of £39.10 - even if you get two pairs this still isn't very good value at all.

@danielandcarly13 most opticians make a loss on children’s eyecare. The NHS test + voucher does not cover the cost of the appointment and the glasses.

@underneaththeash this is not really true, and you would be naive to think that any business would supply any product or service at a loss for prolonged periods of time. Free never means free, somebody is paying for it at some point...

Basic lenses costing 50p each and a frame that you produce and sell to yourself for a couple of pound each, chain opticians with these setups are making plenty of money from the NHS I can assure you.

If you visit an independent optician, you are likely to get more personal care and, some may argue, better quality product, often with much lower margins. In this instance, and in order to compete, an optician may offer services and products to under 19's with very little profit.

It’s more than physical material that goes into the cost of glasses.

You have the lenses, the frames, coatings (we apply UV protection as standard on all children’s glasses which is done in store). There is the time to help the patient chose the frame, fit the frame, discuss use and recommendations. All children’s dispenses are seen by a qualified optician. Then there is the physical cost of the lenses and put into the frame, the cost of running the glazing machine and the filter as well as the member of the team running it. The lenses are checked and marked before cutting and then are checked twice to ensure the prescription and coatings are correct, the frame is correct and the quality is 100%, one of these times by a qualified optician who has spent at least 3 years doing a degree level qualification to be able to do this.

Once they leave the lab the fit is checked on the patient again. The prescription and coatings checked again and again we explain use, check their vision, provide a case and cleaning cloth free of charge. Offer a free adjustment service.

Who is paying the wages of the staff that see the patient? The running and maintaining of the machine? It is absolutely not covered by £39.10.